Albion team up with Brighton-based upcycling innovators FC88

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2024-09-26T09:00+01:00

📷 by Paul Hazlewood

Brighton and Hove Albion have launched an exciting new collaboration with upcycling innovators FC88 to reuse material from misprinted jerseys to manufacture bum bags and bucket hats which are now on sale in the club shop.

The club works hard to ensure that as much kit is reused as possible but sometimes there is kit that isn’t suitable for resale or reuse. In this case the club had around 500 youth kits that couldn’t be sold due to a misprint and, rather than dispose of them, the club worked with FC88 who repurposed the fabric for use in two new products, bum bags and bucket hats.

FC88’s mission is to save football apparel from landfill and incinerators by reworking them into new pieces. Both products were hand-crafted by a skilled team of craftspeople in FC88’s Brighton-based studio and a careful design process ensured that as much material as possible was reused from the shirts in the new designs.

Nicole Bekkers, Founder & CEO of FC88, highlighted the importance of local production: “What makes this collaboration between Brighton & Hove Albion and FC88 so special is the hands-on approach at every stage. Everything has been carefully crafted in Brighton, giving the collection a distinct local flavour and a unique story behind every piece. The upcycling atelier is just two miles down the road from the club.”

“Each upcycled item is more than just a product; it’s a testament to the creativity and talent of Brighton’s local craftspeople. Fans will be wearing a piece of the city’s heart and soul with every item in this collection.”

By giving these materials a second life, the club are supporting circular fashion and changing the way we think about waste. Rather than seeing end-of-life products as waste, circular fashion seeks to keep materials in the economy by extending the life cycle of products or, if the product can no longer be used, as components or raw materials that can be remanufactured into new products.

Tom Harris, Brighton & Hove Albion sustainability manager said: “The club are committed to finding innovative and sustainable solutions that will reduce our environmental impact and inspire our fans. Not only are these new products made from material that would otherwise be waste, but they are produced in Brighton, supporting the local economy and resulting in fewer emissions from transportation”.